Macpac Reflex material

[spoon]

Hey,

I am in need of a new waterproof jacket and am thinking about getting the Macpac Rime jacket:

http://www.macpac.com.au/shop/en_au/gea ... ket-m.html

This jacket uses Macpac's Reflex material. I was wondering if anyone has had any experience with this jacket or this material and can recommend it or not. I am not sure if I should go for this one (cheaper) or spend a bit more and go for one of the eVent jackets?

Thanks

[wayno]

I think campbell said at one stage that it's pertex rebadged. pertex is a pretty good membrane, comparable to gore tex in breathability.
although still depends on how good the waterproof DWR treatment on the outside of the fabric as well.

[clarence]

IN the mid to late 90's macpac (then called "wilderness" for its clothing) only made jackets out of reflex because they stated they had excessive problems with goretex durability. The three layer reflex of the late 1990s was a good fabric. My partner had one of the three layer bushwalking jackets and the fabric was comparable to any of the other good fabrics. I owned a lightweight three layer reflex cycling jacket in the early 2000s and it delaminated in no time, and macpac wouldn't honour it as a warranty (needless to say it was the last time I bought macpac). I would agree with Wayno that it is probably a good membrane and that the DWR is important. However, when the warranty is dubious, I would personally be reluctant to purchase one.
Clarence

[blacksheep]

IN the mid to late 90's macpac (then called "wilderness" for its clothing) only made jackets out of reflex because they stated they had excessive problems with goretex durability. The three layer reflex of the late 1990s was a good fabric. My partner had one of the three layer bushwalking jackets and the fabric was comparable to any of the other good fabrics. I owned a lightweight three layer reflex cycling jacket in the early 2000s and it delaminated in no time, and macpac wouldn't honour it as a warranty (needless to say it was the last time I bought macpac). I would agree with Wayno that it is probably a good membrane and that the DWR is important. However, when the warranty is dubious, I would personally be reluctant to purchase one.
Clarence

different owners clarence..as vanilla ice once said "if there is a problem, yo, I'll solve it.."

[wayno]

i dont think you can compare a membrane made in the late nineties to ones made today, the early 2000's maybe but even so some membranes have improved since then.
in the early days goretex wasnt particularly reliable either but they improved
theres a limit to how much you can bring up the past. it cuts both ways, some brands go downhill as much as others improve.
you need to look at RECENT reviews for products and RECENT opinions
i was talking to an outdoor shop manager, he was talking about a particular brand , he had sold that brand for years but refused to use it himself because it was poor quality gear but in the space of a year he found they had improved so much he couldnt speak highly enough of them. I knew enough about the brand to agree with him.

[clarence]

I did agree with your assessment of the fabric generally Wayno.
If someone has more recent experience hopefully they will contribute to the thread.
I agree that products and manufacturers change, and not always for the better.
While membrane technology may have improved I would argue that garment design across the board has deteriorated substantially. Oh for the old J+H Cat and Dog jacket (for those who remember them).
I await the replies of outrage.
Clarence

[GD4Up]

I reckon my Macpac jacket is the late 90's vintage or maybe it was 2000/1 - definitely made from 'reflex' and is old enough to almost be showing some grey hairs. I've had no problems with it and have only re-treated it once about 3 years ago when I noticed it was starting to let some moisture through. Its survived plenty of scrapes and wear and time as well as plenty of time rolled up not being needed as much as keeping me dry during hail and torrential and horizontal rain. It hasn't shown any wear from packstraps either.

I'd presume that its only improved from the old material and it now seems lighter and less stiff then my 90's version.